Annual goods imports:
~US$880B/yr (2026 annualized) - one of the world's fastest-growing import markets.
Services
India - Market Entry Guide for Canadian Exporters
> India is a Tier-1 anchor market for Global Canada and the largest non-US > opportunity by buyer population: 1.4 billion people, a fast-growing > importer class, and a government actively opening trade. For a Canadian > exporter replacing US volume, India offers scale no European market can > match - with the language and local-channel work that is Global Canada's > core skill. ---
Market at a glance
Canada's exports to the market:
C$3.9B goods + C$15.1B services (2025); vegetables/pulses & agri, mineral fuels, wood pulp; education services lead. Goal: double two-way trade to $70B by 2030.
Top import categories:
mineral fuels (~27%); precious stones & jewellery (~14%); electrical machinery (~10%)
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Market Overview
India is the world's most populous country and one of its fastest-growing major economies. The Trade Commissioner Service frames India as a market of large opportunity across advanced manufacturing, consumer demand, and investment, reached through a Trade Commissioner network of five offices (New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Chennai). For Canadian exporters, India is the defining large emerging market of the diversification play: a young, urbanizing population; a rapidly expanding importer and distributor class; and a government actively courting trade and investment.
The strategic logic mirrors the rest of the Global Canada model. US tariffs have made non-US diversification a funded, urgent requirement, and CanExport 2026-27 forces a US-or-non-US choice. India is the largest non-US market by sheer buyer count, and its growth rate makes it the highest-potential long-term replacement for US volume. It is also the market where the local-language and channel advantage is decisive: Indian buying happens across multiple languages and through a deep distributor/agent layer that English-only tools cannot see. Global Canada's multilingual capability (the team reads Hindi, and works across India's business languages) and 22-language stack are a structural edge here.
Global Canada prices India as a Tier-1 anchor market (largest non-US import markets, default pricing - trade-canada, section 1), and serves it through vetted local partners: importers, distributors, agents, trade-show contractors, and legal/accounting advisors on the ground.
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Top Industries and Opportunities
The TCS lists the following industries as strong opportunities for Canadian exporters in India:
Agriculture and processed foods:
India's food processing sector is expanding fast with government support. Canadian pulses (a major staple import), lentils, grains, oilseeds, and value-added processed foods have a large, growing buyer base.
Automotive:
India is a top-five global auto market with aggressive EV adoption targets. Canadian auto components, EV materials, and manufacturing technology can enter OEM and aftermarket channels.
Clean technologies:
India's renewable-energy buildout (solar, wind, grid, energy storage) and urban infrastructure needs create demand for Canadian clean-tech solutions, energy efficiency, and water technology.
Information and communications technologies:
India is a global IT and software market and a services hub. Canadian software, cybersecurity, fintech, and enterprise technology can both sell in and partner with Indian technology companies.
Infrastructure:
India is in a multi-decade infrastructure build (roads, rail, airports, urban transit, smart cities), with a growing appetite for Canadian engineering, project-management, and technology solutions.
Life sciences:
Indian healthcare spending is rising, and the country is a major pharmaceutical and medical-device market. Canadian med-tech, diagnostics, and health products can enter through distributors and partnerships.
For Global Canada clients, the fastest-win sectors are pulses and agri-food, clean technology, ICT, and medical devices - sectors where CanExport funds the buyer-discovery and market-development activity, and where India's importer base is both large and reachable through local partners.
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Trade Relations and Agreements
The TCS states clearly that Canada does not have a free trade agreement with India. However, the two countries are actively negotiating an early-progress trade agreement (EPTA) and a comprehensive agreement, and Canada and India have a substantial existing trade relationship. What this means for the exporter:
Tariffs are generally higher than in FTA markets:
Indian import duties on many goods are significant, so landed-cost modeling matters. Canadian exporters should price carefully and check duty drawback and exemption schemes for inputs.
Negotiation momentum:
the trade relationship is moving toward a preferential agreement, so watching for tariff-line announcements is worthwhile for planning.
Investment protection:
the Canada-India relationship includes investment and double-taxation frameworks that reduce the risk of setting up a local presence.
Because there is no FTA, the grant story becomes even more important: CanExport and provincial programs pay for the market visits, shows, and buyer-discovery activities that overcome the tariff gap. The TCS points Canadian businesses to its agreements database to search all trade and investment agreements involving Canada and India, and to its bilateral relations overview for the full relationship picture.
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Tariffs, Rules and Regulations
Without a Canada-India FTA, tariff and regulatory diligence is essential:
Customs duties:
Indian applied MFN duties can be high on finished goods and lower on inputs. Understand the HS classification, check applicable duties, and explore Indian duty-exemption and incentive schemes for manufacturing inputs.
Standards and certification:
India has its own standards regime (BIS certification for many products), labeling and metrology requirements, and sector-specific approvals (for example, FSSAI for food products). Product certification is a CanExport-eligible cost.
Sanctions and controls:
Canadian exporters must screen Indian buyers and transactions against Canadian sanctions and export/import controls, and apply responsible business conduct standards when operating in India.
Intellectual property:
India's IP regime differs from Canada's; foreign suppliers should register and protect trademarks and patents before entering distribution agreements.
Payment and financing:
letter-of-credit and trade-finance structures are common; EDC can support Canadian exporters with receivables protection and working capital for India transactions.
Global Canada's destination compliance monitoring service tracks certification, licensing, and regulatory renewals so the exporter stays selling in India.
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Trade Shows and Events
India's trade-show calendar is active across the priority sectors. While the captured TCS snapshot for India did not list a full 2026 event calendar, the pattern across the TCS India program is consistent: sector trade shows and Canadian government-organized business delegations run year-round. Exporters should check the TCS events page for India for the current list. Global Canada can pre-book qualified buyer meetings at Indian shows and Canadian delegations, so the exporter does not work the floor cold. Key recurring sectors for Canadian entry include:
Agri-food and processed food trade shows
(pulses, grains, food processing equipment).
Technology and ICT events
(software, fintech, cybersecurity, electronics).
Clean energy and infrastructure expos
(renewables, water, urban infrastructure).
Medical device and pharma events
(healthcare, diagnostics).
World Food India
New Delhi, November (periodic; next edition expected 2026) - the national food-processing forum.
AAHAR
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, early March (annual) - international food & hospitality fair (confirm dates).
IFAT India
Mumbai, October - water, sewage and environment technology (confirm dates).
India International Seafood Show
rotates, November (confirm dates).
Trade-show participation and market-visit costs are CanExport-eligible, making each event a grant-subsidized entry point.
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Additional verified sector shows for Canadian exporters:
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Funding and Support Programs
Canadian exporters entering India have a full federal support stack:
CanExport funding:
covers 50% of eligible costs (trade shows, market visits, market research, buyer acquisition, localization, IP and legal advice) up to $50K per project and $99,999 per year, under the US-or-non-US project rule. An India project is exactly the non-US diversification CanExport 2026-27 funds.
Trade Commissioner Service (TCS):
free market potential assessments, qualified contacts, and problem-solving across India's five trade offices.
EDC:
financing, guarantees, and receivables protection for India transactions - important in a no-FTA market where payment structures can be more complex.
Canadian Technology Accelerators (CTAs):
the CTA network includes India hubs for technology companies in ICT, cleantech, life sciences, and digital health.
Provincial programs (Ontario, Quebec, BC, and others) can stack on the federal baseline within the 75% total-government-assistance cap. Global Canada documents the grant-eligible cost buckets per activity.
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Trade Offices and Contacts
The TCS maintains a five-office presence in India, giving Canadian exporters deep in-country reach:
The High Commission of Canada to India, New Delhi
7/8 Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi, 110021. +91 11 4178 2000. india.commerce@international.gc.ca. Mon-Fri 08:30-16:45.
Canadian Trade Office, Ahmedabad
Courtyard Marriott Ahmedabad, Ramdevnagar Cross Roads, Satellite, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380 015. +91-79-6618 5012. Mon-Fri 09:00-17:15.
The Consulate General of Canada, Bengaluru
World Trade Center, 22nd Floor, Brigade Gateway Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560055. +91 80-49247000. Mon-Fri 08:30-16:45.
The Consulate General of Canada, Chandigarh
Elante Office Complex, 4th Floor, Industrial and Business Park, Phase 1, Chandigarh, 160 002. Mon-Fri 08:00-16:15.
Canadian Trade Office, Chennai
Hotel Park Hyatt, 39 Velachery Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 032. +91-44-7100 0201. Mon-Fri 08:30-16:45.
The first free step is registering with the TCS for a market assessment and qualified contacts in India. Global Canada coordinates with the TCS and its own in-market partners.
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Market Entry Considerations
Local language and channels:
Indian commerce runs across many languages and through a deep distributor/agent layer. English-only tools miss a large part of the buyer base; local-language discovery is a structural advantage.
Distributor-led structure:
most Canadian exporters enter India through distributors, agents, and channel partners rather than direct sales. Build and manage that channel deliberately.
Price for duties:
with no FTA, landed cost includes Indian duties. Model the full cost stack before quoting.
Certification and standards:
start BIS/FSSAI/sector certification early - it is a CanExport-eligible cost and a gate to the market.
Trust and references:
Indian buyers buy from suppliers with proof. Case studies, trade shows, and Canadian government endorsements matter.
Grant discipline:
apply to the highest-cost-share program first, keep receipts, segregate cost buckets, and disclose all government sources.
Tariffs are high and volatile
agriculture faces steep duties and quota controls; protect against sudden policy shifts.
Regulatory
FSSAI food import plus customs duty and GST (5-12% food range); plant-quarantine registration for pulses/produce; medical devices need CDSCO.
Documentation
the importer must hold an Import Export Code (IEC) and AD code; port inspection is rigorous.
Language
English works in B2B; state-by-state market fragmentation means regional distributors matter.
Logistics
Nhava Sheva/Mumbai ports are congested; cold chain improving; e-commerce (Amazon.in, BigBasket, Flipkart) is a fast-growing channel.
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Specific entry notes for this market:
How Global Canada Can Help
Global Canada operates in India as a Tier-1 anchor market with its strongest structural edge: local-language capability, the deepest buyer-discovery stack, and an in-market partner network. Services map directly to India entry:
Non-US Buyer Acquisition:
a monthly pipeline of vetted Indian importers and distributors - the single most effective way to build Indian volume.
Trade-Data Buyer Pipeline:
a refreshed, pre-qualified Indian buyer list each month, with volume discounts when you add more markets.
Reverse-Search Displacement:
find Indian buyers currently buying your product from non-Indian (including US) suppliers and win them - the core play for replacing US volume.
Local-Language Buyer Discovery:
surface Indian buyers hidden in Hindi and other local-language databases that English-only tools miss.
In-Market Distributor/Agent Network Build:
source, vet, onboard, and manage Indian agents and distributors across regions.
Foreign Subsidiary Setup:
establish a compliant Indian company (private limited or branch) when the market justifies local presence.
Trade Show Program:
pre-booked qualified meetings at Indian sector shows and Canadian delegations.
Tender and Bid Management:
identify and bid Indian government and enterprise tenders.
India is the highest-scale non-US opportunity for most Canadian exporters, and Global Canada's local-language edge, anchor pricing, and grant alignment make it a core pillar of any diversification plan. Contact us for a free readiness call to scope your India entry.
Relevant services
The services below are grant-eligible: CanExport and EDC reimburse up to 50% for incorporated Canadian exporters.
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